Concord of the Northern Realms

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

The Northern Realms of Dwilight have a shared interest in our mutual defense and success. Therefore, the signers of the Concord of the Northern Realms (hereinafter “signatories”) agree to the following:

-- ARTICLE I - SHIELD OF THE NORTH --

Ambassador Edelyn Luitolf of Tol Goldora founded the guild Shield of the North in Aegir’s Deep to serve as the base of communications for the Northern Realms.

--- Section I - Membership in Shield of the North --- All rulers of signatories required to join Shield of the North. They are encouraged, but not required, to build a guild hall in their own realms to facilitate easier access for their nobles.

Any noble of a signatory may obtain full membership in the guild. Only rulers are guaranteed Elder positions, though rulers may request additional nobles be added as Elders as well.

Ultimately, Elders are present on an advisory basis and may be removed by request of another ruler. Rulers are considered their realm’s official representative.

--- Section II - Joint Paramilitary Rogue Task Force --- Northern Dwilight is plagued by an excessive number of rogues. As such, a primary purpose of the Shield of the North is to facilitate easier communication between the signatories’ armies against non-human threats.

All signatories are allowed to maintain their own armies and may use this guild to request and coordinate joint maneuvers when rogues would otherwise pose a significant threat to any signatory.

Those who repeatedly ignore requests for little good reason may have their membership reviewed.

--- Section III - Communication of Threats --- Signatories are encouraged to communicate with other signatories when, in their opinion, there is a remarkable threat to their own or another’s territorial integrity, political independence, or security.

Signatories are not required to militarily respond to threats on other signatory realms.

-- ARTICLE II - RELIGIOUS ASSURANCES --

Religion is a major component of life in the North. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all signatories to have the following guarantees.

--- Section I - Maintenance of Religious Sites --- Members of a faith may do routine maintenance to the institutions, for example temples and shrines, on signatory lands by informing the ruler of their intentions before entering their realm. They do not need permission.

The ruler may require that they inform other parties as well.

Priests are expected to ONLY do maintenance work, which includes maintaining the treasury, raising guards, performing repairs, and other similar actions.

--- Section II - Protection of Religious Sites --- Any religious institution, including temples and shrines, of any faith on the signatories' territories may not be damaged, including raiding, sacking, destroying, or in any other way harming the institution.

Building said institutions after the signing of this treaty must be in accordance with the laws of the realm at hand or it falls outside the protection of this stipulation.

--- Section III - Religious Expansion --- A priest or religious elder from either party may preach, build, or enlarge an institution on the land of the other party ONLY if express permission is given by the ruler of the relevant realm.

The ruler may require that the priest get permission from other parties as well.

--- Section IV - Rectifying Religious Differences --- Religious leaders will be given the opportunity to rectify acrimonious situations before outrage and claims of deviance occur. All signatories agree to actively work against the declaration of the following religions as “evil”:

• Church of the Tidemother
• Sanguis Astroism

Other faiths will be discussed on a case by case basis. 

--- Section V - Protection from Religious Attack --- If a majority of signatory rulers agree that a religion is acting in opposition to a realm's interests, they may agree on a policy to ban institutions of such a religion from their realms.

The signatories agree that any of our realm members using faith as a weapon will be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This includes, but is not limited to, the removal or attempted removal of ladies and lords from their lands.

An individual acting in such a way is assumed to be not sanctioned by the realm or its church and is automatically given two (2) strikes (see: Article III, Section II - Personas Non Grata).

-- ARTICLE III - SECULAR ASSURANCES --

As the Northern Realms endeavor to see continued development and growth over the coming years, all signatories agree to support the continued development of other signatory realms while respecting their autonomy by agreeing to the following:

--- Section I - Access to Regions and Respect of Borders --- Nobles are expected to notify the ruler of another signatory before entering their borders. They do not need permission unless they are traveling in a group of three (3) or more.

--- Section II - Persona Non Grata --- Trust is of paramount importance, and as such, we must have provisions included to allow for signatories to take action against specific nobles in extreme circumstances without ostracizing their entire realm.

They may do this by giving them the status of Persona Non Grata. Personas Non Grata:

1. May not, under any circumstance, enter the territory of ANY signer without explicit permission from that realm’s ruler.
2. Are not granted ANY of the protections provided in this Concord. This means that they may be banished or executed without outrage from their own realm or other signatory.
3. Are automatically removed from the Shield of the North.
4. Should a Persona Non Grata disobey the restrictions, their realm is responsible. Repeated violations by Personas Non Grata or an accumulation of many Personas Non Grata may result in review of their realm’s status in this Concord.

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Obtaining Persona Non Grata Status ----

A noble from a signatory may become a Persona Non Grata by the accumulation of two (2) total strikes or by declaration.

Actions that result in strikes include:

• Attempted or successful assassination on a signatory's noble - two (2) strikes
• Attempted or successful coup d’etat on a signatory's noble - two (2) strikes
• Violation of a signatory's borders - one (1) strike
• Violation of a signatory's laws regarding religious activity - one (1) strike
• Violation of any other protections or rights guaranteed in this treaty - one (1) strike

In order for strikes to be recorded, a report must be submitted to the Shield of the North within two (2) weeks of the violation. Evidence, such as scout reports, region reports, region alerts, letters, etc., is encouraged but not required.

Alternatively, a signatory ruler may declare any noble to be a Persona Non Grata. It is the ruler’s responsibility to report the reason and Persona Non Grata status to the Elders in the Shield of the North and the noble in question directly.

The party making the declaration must give a reason, but does not have to present absolute proof of wrongdoing.

This power is intended to be used sparingly for serious alleged offenses. It can apply retrospectively to offenses that were alleged to be committed before the signing of this treaty.

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Lifting Persona Non Grata Status ----

The status of Persona Non Grata can only be lifted by unanimous declaration from the ruler of all affected signatories.

If a Persona Non Grata wishes to appeal their status, their best course of action is to make their case to the rulers whose realms they violated. They are not guaranteed an audience.

Current Personas Non Grata include:

• Carlos Snodaert (by declaration of Tol Goldora)
• Rojak (by declaration of Astrum)
• Samson (by declaration of Astrum)

--- Section III - Treatment of Prisoners --- The signatories agree to afford captured nobles basic humane treatment befitting of a noble.

• Reasonable accommodations (basic food and water; a bed roll)
• No gold nor unique items may be confiscated
• No torture or abuse of any kind
• No execution

Prisoners may be interrogated. They are not protected from banishment. If a signatory's noble is imprisoned, the ruler is expected to contact the ruler of the imprisoning realm to discuss.

--- Section IV - Food Security --- In the instance that a signatory has excess food to be sold on the international market, the other signatories will be offered first chance to purchase. In the event that two or more signatories would like to purchase food, the contract shall go to whomever the seller wishes.